Marc Ketter, Managing Director of CDCL Promotions, the promotion branch of Compagnie De Construction Luxembourgeoise, looks back at the construction sector’s trends in digital and organizational innovation.
Photo: Marc Ketter, Managing Director of CDCL Promotions / Image Credits: Kaori Anne Jolliffe
Marc Ketter, as a developer, how do you perceive innovation?
Generally speaking, we can say that construction has not undergone major changes over the past decades. Of course, construction machinery has undergone technological developments, energy optimization has been pushed, especially in Luxembourg, materials and architecture have changed.
However, the sector relies above all on manual labor. It has therefore long remained rather passive in terms of digital transformation. And has therefore benefitted less from digital innovation than other industries.
At CDCL, we started a few years ago a “Building Tomorrow” program to review our processes and methodologies based on the model of the automotive sector and Toyota.
In terms of process optimization, we introduced in 2017 an operational excellence service, based on the Lean approach. The 5S system for optimizing working conditions and working time aims to involve workers on site with efficient working methods and practices – for example to reduce the number of trips to the site or to prevent minor accidents – for the well-being and safety of all.
In addition, we have implemented the Last Planner System, which prepares work sequences throughout the construction chain, in order to prevent the implications of problems on the entire chain of trades. The aim is to optimize the sequence of subcontractors’ interventions in order to be more efficient in carrying out the work. We have thus been able to save 2 to 3 months of time per site, sites that take between 1.5 and 3 years. On the fifty or so sites that we manage simultaneously, the gain is therefore significant.
For our new headquarters, we also adopted the Austrian CREE method, which deploys ecological solutions applied to the construction industry. We have tried to reinvent ourselves by using modular and hybrid materials, combining the best of concrete and wood in an environmental approach, reducing our carbon footprint and the circular economy. The wood is produced in France. We will move to our new headquarters in Leudelange in early 2022.
In this context, digitalization has helped us in the planning and realization of the works and the building.
“We started a few years ago a “Building Tomorrow” program to review our processes and methodologies based on the model of the automotive sector.”
How does CDCL integrate digitalization in its activities?
For example, we have migrated our infrastructures to the cloud, an approach that proved its relevance during the pandemic, particularly for the organization of our employees’ teleworking.
As for Building Information Modeling (BIM), we have introduced the digital twin in our planning and in the execution and operation of buildings. We are applying the approach to our major projects, but also to our clients.
Although the system requires a little more time for the planning and costing of the project, it allows us to detect errors in advance on the computer and to prevent them on the building site.
In parallel with the migration of our systems to the cloud, we have also introduced new electronic document management methods to optimize the filing, saving and retrieval of documents. This has saved us several hours of time per employee.
To what type of project do you apply these methods and innovations?
With the Kirchberg Urbanization Fund, we are working on a 23,000 m2 mixed-use project in the Grunewald district. It consists of 2 buildings that include different functions: hotels (140 rooms), office and coworking spaces, housing, urban commerce, a plaza and a day care center.
Depending on the needs, all functions can be reallocated into other functions, without major changes, waste or wastage, all in a circular economy approach. All in line with the lifestyles and work patterns of digital natives.
BIM will help us in this project. The works will start in early 2023 and will end in 2026.
This article was first published in Silicon Luxembourg magazine. Get your copy.
